5 Affordable Motocross Upgrades for Your Dirt Bike

In our somewhat biased opinion, motocross is one of the best sports out there—but let’s be honest, it can also be one of the most expensive. Between bike maintenance, gear, fuel, and race entry fees, the costs stack up fast. But that doesn’t mean chasing your racing dreams has to fall to the wayside. If you’re serious about lining up on the gate to push yourself and your dirt bike to the limits, there are smart, affordable upgrades that can help you get more performance out of your machine, without blowing your budget. Whether you’re building your first race bike to finally give racing a shot or squeezing every ounce of power out of a well-loved ride, these 5 budget-friendly mods deliver the most bang for your buck and are the perfect place to start.

1. Tyres
2. Sprockets
3. Start Device
4. Increased Air Intake
5. Brakes

Motocross Tyres

When it comes to motocross performance, tyres might not be the first upgrade that comes to mind, but they can have one of the biggest impacts on how your bike handles on race day. The right set of tyres tailored to the terrain can completely transform the way your bike hooks up, brakes, and corners. And in a sport where tenths of a second matter, that’s a game-changer. Have you ever noticed the strategy that goes into choosing the right tyre in Pro Motocross? Teams often weigh up whether to run a tyre that rips a perfect start, even though it compromises grip and control for the rest of the race. For example, a paddle tyre might help the rider hole shot, but on a hardpack track, it might feel like they're on skates for the rest of the race. Running tyres with the wrong compound or tread pattern can rob you of grip, make braking unpredictable, and causing the bike to wash out in corners. A hard terrain tyre on a sandy or muddy track will struggle to bite into the ground, leaving you spinning instead of driving forward. Whereas, a soft terrain tyre on a blue-grooved hardpack track will wear out fast. Old tyres are just as damaging to your performance, when the knobs are rounded or the rubber is dried out, you lose traction under acceleration and stability under braking. Which ultimately leads to more mistakes, fatigue from having to 'fight the bike', and slower lap times. If you want your bike to put the power to the ground efficiently, hold its line through ruts, and brake later into corners, fresh tyres with the right tread and compound are absolutely essential.

Sprockets: The right gear ratio

Sprockets are one of the simplest, cheapest, and most effective ways to fine-tune your dirt bike’s power delivery. Changing the number of teeth on your front or rear sprocket lets you adjust how your bike delivers power, making it more responsive off the bottom or stretching out that top-end pull. It’s all about matching the gearing to the kind of riding or racing you’re doing. If you're riding tight, technical motocross tracks with lots of jumps and corners, adding a tooth or two to your rear sprocket will give you more bottom-end torque, your bike will rev quicker and pull harder out of corners, perfect for explosive starts and quick acceleration. On faster, wide-open tracks you might want to drop a tooth on the rear sprocket or add one on the front, this smooths out the power curve, reduces how often you need to shift, and gives you more top-end speed to hold it pinned on long straights. Your gearing setup also impacts how the bike feels. The wrong setup can leave you stuck between gears, revving out too early, or lugging the engine in tight sections.

Extra Tip: Changing the front sprocket has a bigger impact on gearing than the rear. One tooth change on the front is roughly equal to 2-3 teeth on the rear—so even a small adjustment can make a big difference on how your bike feels.

Starting Devices

We all know in motocross, the start is everything, getting the jump off the gate can make or break your race. You can be the best rider on the track, but if you’re buried in the pack coming into the first corner, your chance of securing a podium takes a serious hit. This is where the use of a hole shot device comes in. Mounted to your fork guard, the start device temporarily compresses your suspension, keeping the front end low under the immediate and hard acceleration off the startline. Though it isn't a miracle worker and your body positioning still needs to be on point, the hole shot device helps prevent the front wheel from lifting off the ground when you launch, keeping your centre of gravity lower so you stay planted, straight, and in control while putting maximum power to the ground. Without one, all that torque off the line can cause the front wheel to lift, making it harder to hold your line or forcing you to back off the throttle.  The holeshot device is designed to disengage once you're out of the gate, usually when you break into the first corner or hit the first big bump, returning your suspension to full travel. If you’re serious about racing and want to take your starts to the next level, a hole shot device is one of the cheapest yet most effective mods you can bolt onto your bike.

Increased airflow

If you’re chasing performance, one of the most simple and affordable ways to unlock more from your engine is to help it breathe better. Increased airflow means improved combustion, sharper throttle response, and more usable power. Changing your airbox cover from the traditional side panel to a vented airbox cover increases the volume of air entering the airbox, especially at higher speeds when your bike is under load and demanding more oxygen. With increased airflow, the engine receives a cleaner, more oxygen-rich mix of air and fuel, leading to more efficient combustion, sharper throttle response, stronger acceleration, and in some cases, even a slight boost in horsepower. On the track, that can mean getting out of corners quicker and pulling harder down straights. However, an open airbox means increased exposure to dust, so staying on top of air filter maintenance becomes even more important with this setup.

The second part to this is changing your standard filter to a performance filter like FunnelWeb or UniFilter. The FunnelWebs' pyramid profile doubles the surface area compared to a standard filter, creating increased airflow into your engine with less resistance to maintain exceptional filtration. More surface area also means your filter lasts longer between cleans, making it perfect for race days or long motos where consistent power delivery matters. UniFilters function similarly, built with a saw-tooth foam design and 2-stage foam in ProComp2 filters. Both options are Australian-made, race-proven, and designed to perform in harsh, dusty conditions, like a lot of the tracks we ride.

Braking Performance

Confidence to charge starts with knowing your brakes are going to work.  We've all heard the saying go slow to go fast, the ability to slow down efficiently, predictably, whilst staying in complete control, especially when you're pushing hard into corners or charging down rough sections. Improved braking performance is more than just safety, it’s about confidence, control, and corner speed. The better your brakes feel, the more aggressively you can ride.

Bleeding Your Brakes: Your brakes might look fine, but if the fluid is old or there’s air in the lines, performance drops fast. Spongy feel at the lever? That’s a sign it’s time for a bleed. Flushing and bleeding your brake system with fresh fluid is a low-cost job that can completely change how your brakes feel, restoring consistent lever feel, improving braking power, and preventing brake fade in long motos or hot conditions.

Brake Pads: Worn-out pads reduce your stopping power and increase braking distance. Even if there's still material left on them, old or glazed pads can overheat quicker causing fade and struggle to bite in wet, sandy, or muddy conditions. If you’re installing new rotors or servicing your brakes, always pair them with fresh pads as old pads can glaze new rotors.  Stock brake pads are decent, but upgrading to a premium compound can offer: Better initial bite, more consistent stopping power in wet or dry conditions, and longer lifespan under heavy use. 

Sintered (Metallic) Pads: Made with metal particles fused under pressure

• Offer excellent braking power and high heat resistance
• Great for racing, aggressive riders, or wet/muddy riding
• Tend to last longer but can wear rotors quicker

Best choice if you want consistent braking power all moto long

Semi-Metallic Pads: A blend of metal and organic materials

• Offer a balance between bite and feel
• Good for most riders and conditions
• Typically less harsh on rotors than full sintered

Ideal for weekend warriors who want solid performance without being too aggressive

Organic (Non-Metallic) Pads: Made from resin, rubber, and other soft materials

• Provide strong initial bite and progressive feel
• Best for light riders, trail riding, or dry tracks
• Tend to wear out faster and fade quicker under heavy braking
• Quieter and easier on rotors, but not ideal for racing

Oversized Rotors: An oversized front rotor gives you a noticeable increase in stopping power, the larger diameter offers more surface area and mechanical leverage, which means:

• More power with less lever pressure
• Better fade resistance on long, rough motos
• Smoother braking with more feel

An oversized brake disc is one of the most cost-effective ways to get “factory” braking feel without breaking the bank. Note: Many kits come with a relocation bracket for easy install.

Braided Brake Lines: Most stock bikes come with rubber brake lines, which can expand, especially when they heat up, leading to spongy lever feel and brake fade. Upgrading to steel braided brake lines is a good upgrade for serious racers, though not necessary for everyone. A braided brakeline will give a firmer, more responsive lever feel, provide more consistent performance especially under heat and pressure, as well as improved durability.